Chlorinated's definitely happening....soon....upgrade! Looking for advice.

Chlorinated

Non-member
Hi All,

The time has come, well soon anyway, to finally upgrade my IM nuvo 20. We recently purchased a house and will no longer be renting. This means....bigger reef!

I wanted to reach out and get everyone's advice and see what they think of the build plan. Nothing is set in stone and nothing has been purchased yet.

The system:

- Fiji Cube 76 EXT package with upgraded 30 sump. Will do the 108 EXT if I can swing the added cost.

- Reefbreeders Nautilus 1100gph return. With head loss hoping for 300-400gph through the sump.

- 2x Reef Octopus Octopulse 2 with Hydros Wave Engine LE

- Aquaticlife 48" hybrid with 2x AI Prime 16HD

- ATO. Reefbreeders Prism

- BRS media reactor for carbon.

- Skimmer is undecided but likely will follow later.

I plan to buy dry Marco rock from BRS, or local if I can score a good deal. We move next month so the plan would be to buy then and start curing the rock in a Brute in the basement with some bio media from my 20 while the rest comes together.

I plan to use Caribsea Ocean Direct sand - about 60lbs. Or maybe 20lbs of the direct and 40lbs special grade to save a few bucks.

For fish I want a melenurus wrasse, yellow coris wrass, magnificent fox face, tang (yellow, bristletooth, scopas, etc. - open to suggestions) and maybe some chromis. Leaving the angry clows behind in the 20.

Looking for advice on:

- Skimmer. I run and Ice Cap K1 nano on my 20, but I've never used a big in-sump skimmer. Reliable brands, but not top of the line?

- Lighting. I plan to go mixed reef. SPS top and LPS, rock flowers bottom. I plan to do away with the leathers. I know a 36" fixture would work, but would I be struggling for PAR with the shorter fixture? 48" isn't much more expensive, so should I just go that route? Not planning a hood so also concerned about light spill.

- Fish. This this light, heavy, just right stock? Recommended substitutions?

- anything else you want to chime in on!

This is my fist big build....small compared to many, but big for me. Appreciate any and all advice. Suggestions on substitutions or removal of equipment or fish. I'm all ears!

Thanks everyone!
 
Was your Nuvo 20 a lagoon? I’m looking into upgrading from the 15 cube. Can’t decide between the 20 or 25 lagoon.
 
You say you plan on keeping SPS so I would probably start thinking about upgrading those 2 primes to something like hydras or a ReefBreeder to get better coverage, especially if you go for the 108. Would probably be fine to start with especially with some test sticks but as they grow you’ll want as much light as possible. If you want to grow acros all the way to the edge of the tank I’d lean toward the 48in fixture, but there’s nothing wrong with leaving 6in on either end for some low light corals, plus you’ll get less algae on the sides of the glass. I also had a tank with a 4’ x 2’ footprint (mixed reef, SPS dominant), I ran a 48in ReefBreeder with the 48in aquatic life fixture and was very happy with spread and light penetration but definitely had some light spillage in the room, didn’t really bother me or my housemates.

I ran an eshopps skimmer which was great, didn’t break the bank (college budget lol), but after about a year or so every time I would turn it off/on I had to basically jump start it by lifting it out of the water until the depth was low enough to start some bubble production, then it would work fine until I turned it off again for maintenance. Not sure what the problem was, I kept it very clean and would have the same issue even directly after pulling apart the pump and deep cleaning. Ive seen others with similar issues, just something to keep in mind. Maybe someone can chime in with an easy solution.

Looking forward to the build!
 
I like shallow tanks with a large footprint. Just make sure what you are looking for in a tank is more height if you choose to go with the 108 EXT and that you dont want a larger footprint. Shallow tanks are easier to light.

If you go taller tank I would definitely go stronger light as well if you want to get into SPS.

For somewhat mid tier skimmers I have used reef octopus skimmers and have done well for me. I use this one now and used it on my 80 gallon but was way oversized. I like to stock heavy on fish and overfeed.

1673664136192.png
 
I think the shallow 76 will be more realistic and most likely what I get.

I agree lights should probably be more powerful for SPS, but maybe I focus SPS more top center and leave the rest open for LPS. So 36" fixture will probably be ok for that. Not looking for a wall to wall SPS tank anyway. Poor choice?

Thanks for the skimmer recommendation. I was looking at RO, but unsure what model. The 150 says 100gal for heavy, but I have no experience with these types of skimmers so oversized may be the way to go. Skimmer will likely come later in the build once I start adding fish. I plan to buy the more critical stuff first.
 
Been spending time looking at skimmers and want to know what people think.

First, do you prefer skimmers with the pump inside the body of the skimmer, or attached to the side? My feelings are that an externally mounted pump would make maintenance easier as I imagine the pump would need more routine maintenance then the skimmer body itself. Space nit being an issue of course.

Looking at skimmers, these are the ones I have been looking at:

RO 150-INT classic (external pump)
Red Sea RSK-300
AquaMaxx ConeS Q1
Bubble Magus Curve 5 Elite

All 4 get good reviews. RO has been known for quality builds and reliability. I have the opportunity to get a new RSK-300 for $240 locally. AquaMaxx skimmer has great reviews and so does Bubble Magus.

The Red Sea is a great deal, but part of me wants to hold out for a RO skimmer due to its reputation.

I appreciate everyone's thoughts and experiences in this area!
 
Been spending time looking at skimmers and want to know what people think.

First, do you prefer skimmers with the pump inside the body of the skimmer, or attached to the side? My feelings are that an externally mounted pump would make maintenance easier as I imagine the pump would need more routine maintenance then the skimmer body itself. Space nit being an issue of course.

Looking at skimmers, these are the ones I have been looking at:

RO 150-INT classic (external pump)
Red Sea RSK-300
AquaMaxx ConeS Q1
Bubble Magus Curve 5 Elite

All 4 get good reviews. RO has been known for quality builds and reliability. I have the opportunity to get a new RSK-300 for $240 locally. AquaMaxx skimmer has great reviews and so does Bubble Magus.

The Red Sea is a great deal, but part of me wants to hold out for a RO skimmer due to its reputation.

I appreciate everyone's thoughts and experiences in this area!
I prefer an external pump on the skimmer if room is not a factor for the exact reason you mention. I service my pump way more than I take the entire skimmer out. This makes it easier.
 
So how many gallons will the whole system have?
I had this on a 60 gallons tank before.. A bit small but I think this skimmer works really well and simply quiet:

I now have this on a 90 gallons Display+ 40 gallons sump:
https://www.bulkreefsupply.com/regal-200int-8-internal-protein-skimmer-varios-reef-octopus.html
I think it is a good skimmer.
If your tank is small, you might also want to try this:
https://www.bulkreefsupply.com/regal-150int-6-internal-protein-skimmer-varios-reef-octopus.html
 
I prefer an external pump on the skimmer if room is not a factor for the exact reason you mention. I service my pump way more than I take the entire skimmer out. This makes it easier.
Exactly my thought process

So how many gallons will the whole system have?
I had this on a 60 gallons tank before.. A bit small but I think this skimmer works really well and simply quiet:

I now have this on a 90 gallons Display+ 40 gallons sump:
https://www.bulkreefsupply.com/regal-200int-8-internal-protein-skimmer-varios-reef-octopus.html
I think it is a good skimmer.
If your tank is small, you might also want to try this:
https://www.bulkreefsupply.com/regal-150int-6-internal-protein-skimmer-varios-reef-octopus.html
It's the fiji cube 76 with 30 sump. So 100 gal total. Probably like 75-80 after rock and sand.

I like the regal series but more expensive due to the dc pump. Will likely go the ac route.

You think the 150 would work or go bigger? Don't want to go too big obviously.
 
Exactly my thought process


It's the fiji cube 76 with 30 sump. So 100 gal total. Probably like 75-80 after rock and sand.

I like the regal series but more expensive due to the dc pump. Will likely go the ac route.

You think the 150 would work or go bigger? Don't want to go too big obviously.
In my opinion the DC pump is a big part of what makes the skimmer. Allows you the ability to dial it up or down based on system needs
 
I will never own another skimmer with an AC pump. DC really gives you fantastic tuning ability once you get to know the skimmer and they have a significantly lower current draw. You will see your heater make up for the slack now that the AC pump isn't heating the tank though....lol I love my Bubble Magus D8. With regard to cleaning, I just put the entire skimmer in a 5 Gallon bucket and run it on citric acid. Everything rinses off with that stuff and there are claims its easier on things than vinegar. I just sourced citric acid from a chemical company and pay WAY less than you find online. I always hated using vinegar due to the smell and think the citric stuff works better anyway.
 
I will never own another skimmer with an AC pump. DC really gives you fantastic tuning ability once you get to know the skimmer and they have a significantly lower current draw. You will see your heater make up for the slack now that the AC pump isn't heating the tank though....lol I love my Bubble Magus D8. With regard to cleaning, I just put the entire skimmer in a 5 Gallon bucket and run it on citric acid. Everything rinses off with that stuff and there are claims its easier on things than vinegar. I just sourced citric acid from a chemical company and pay WAY less than you find online. I always hated using vinegar due to the smell and think the citric stuff works better anyway.
I get the DC pump advantage. It's just a lot more expensive and I'm on a budget. The AC options have served everyone well for many years and have proven track records.

May not go AC but I'm weighing my options.
 
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